Fanfern?
by Was-Mokie
Summary: One shot with tiny dwarves. Fili is happy being a big brother. His friends don't understand that much.


**Fanfern?**

Some people are going to laugh so hard at me right now. I realized today that my first story with Fili and Kili named Calamity, which is currently continuing as we speak, made the number of stories on this site…thirteen. NO!

I hate that number!

I am a little superstitious. I've even been pulled over by a cop for going one mile UNDER the speed limit on a 13th. Weird stuff happens so here is story number fourteen. Thank goodness!

I own nothing.

I was five when Kili was born. I was a little miffed. Here I was a great dwarfling. I listened to my mother and Uncle Thorin. I always ate everything on my plate including the yucky, green stuff. I sat still when my hair was being braided even if my hair was being pulled. Now they were replacing me? Life just wasn't fair! Uncle Thorin found me pouting and he explained that I wasn't being replaced at all, but I was getting to be a big brother which was a great responsibility. I still wasn't that sure at all.

"What if Mommy doesn't love me anymore because she has that other one?" I pouted as my uncle laughed.

"That is the neat thing about having little siblings," Thorin grinned out as I looked at him in confusion, "Siblings mean that love grows for each of you the exact same amount where family is concerned. Plus, your little brother is going to love you lots and lots too."

I remember being placed on the bed next to my tired, but happy looking mother as she showed me my new baby brother about a week later. The baby was tiny and had dark bits of hair on his head. He made a little whine and opened his eyes and looked at me.

"He has big eyes," I observed as I watched this new being studying me with large brown orbs surrounded by thick lashes, "He's looking at me."

"He's memorizing his big brother's face," Mommy chuckled as my eyes stayed on the baby, "His name is going to be Kili. Kili has to have a name that sounds like yours, Darling, so everyone knows that he is _your_ baby brother."

My baby brother? I reached out and gently touched Kili's nose and his eyes crossed as he followed my hand. Giggling, I decided that I liked this new turn of events after all. Kili was _my_ baby brother and wasn't replacing me at all. Love grew in my heart for Kili and I nodded as I came to a decision.

"Kili can stay," I informed my mother and uncle and didn't understand why they were laughing, but I decided to join them in the fun anyway.

Time passed and Kili began to grow and I realized that he could be very loud and annoying. The baby cried for everything and I didn't care that babies couldn't talk to tell others what they needed. Kili needed to learn to write or gesture or something because waking up to crying in the middle of the night was stinky. I even began having a niggling doubt that I wanted Kili here again like before he was born, but that changed when Kili showed he loved me too.

"Big trouble, Mister," Uncle Thorin was fussing as I was being led inside from having spent time in the forge with him, "That was a very bad boy."

I was crying. I didn't cry often because I was a warrior dwarfling, but it had been an accident. I had only wanted to touch the thing.

"Whatever is going on?" Mommy demanded as Thorin refused to release my hand as I was walked to the naughty chair in the corner while Kili watched everything in the safety of Mommy's arms since he wasn't even crawling yet.

"Fili, nearly cut himself in half when he made a whole row of axes fall over," Thorin groused as Mommy gasped, "I got him away from the areas in the nick of time, but Fili had promised to stay on the blanket with his toys and he broke his oath."

"I just wanted to touch," I whined as I sniffled pitifully, "I didn't mean too, Mommy. I just went across the room when Uncle Thorin wasn't looking."

"So you waited to break your word?" Mommy asked as I looked down, "That is very unbecoming of our line, Fili. I am ashamed of your behavior, Darling. Have you apologized to your uncle?"

"I'm sorry," I sobbed as Uncle Thorin glared down at me, "I won't break my oaf no more."

I still didn't understand why Mommy and Uncle laughed at me sometimes, but today I didn't join in as the two sobered quickly and looked down on me in disappointment.

"Naughty boys sit in naughty chairs," Uncle Thorin ordered me as I wailed louder, "Maybe next time you will think things through more."

I found myself deposited in the chair that faced the corner and turned to beg Uncle to give me another chance when an angry squawk erupted and Thorin stepped back in surprise when a teddy bear slapped him square in the face. We all looked in surprise as Kili began to fuss loudly and hold his hands out for me. Kili was defending me!

"Um…" Mommy began as she giggled softly, "Not right now, Kili-Baby, your big brother has to sit in time-out."

Kili wasn't having it and Uncle reached to help Mommy with the wriggling baby since Mommy was having a lot of trouble holding on to my brother, but Kili squawked angrily again and didn't let Uncle Thorin touch him. Kili was mad.

"I do believe that someone is telling you to be nicer to his big brother," Mommy chuckled to Uncle Thorin while she plopped Kili into my lap as my little brother snuggled against me.

Uncle sighed as he reached down and picked up the bear that Kili had been holding earlier.

"Your brother has a good arm," Uncle Thorin stated as he leaned down to stoop next to the chair I was in with Kili, "Fili, you mustn't ever break your promises because that baby in your arms will do everything he sees his big brother do. What if the axes had fallen on Kili if he had been with you?"

"No," I whimpered pulling Kili closer in my arms, "I'll protect my Kili. I understand, Uncle, I'll keep my oafs so Kili understands that promises are important."

"Good boy, Fili," Uncle praised as I smiled a little, "The word is 'oath' that you are trying to say and not 'oaf,' Little One."

"Oh," I agreed, "I'll keep my oaths. I promise."

Uncle Thorin smiled at me which made me feel better and handed Kili his teddy bear back. Kili wasn't as forgiving since it took several days until Kili would allow Uncle to hold him again. It was that day that I had realized just how much responsibility that I had in keeping my little brother safe. Kili and I both grew and soon I was allowed to go and play on my own with older dwarflings. I tried to share my time equally with both Kili and my friends.

"Kiwi go with," Kili urged as I was putting on my boots one afternoon since I was going fishing with my friends.

"Not today, Kili," I denied as the toddler's lips began to tremble, "I'll come back after your nap today and we'll play with your blocks. I'll try to catch some yummy fish. Kili will love fishy to eat for dinner."

"Wuv fishy," Kili echoed with the sweet lisp most toddlers had at this age, "Want ta go with Fiwi. Catch fishies! Pwease, Fiwi?"

"No, Baby," Mother answered for me as she picked Kili up in her arms, "You're not big enough to walk to the river yet."

"Kiwi big, big, big," Kili whined as he looked to me, "Kiwi go with Bwudda."

"Aw!" a voice called from the door, "Does your little brother have to come with us _again_?"

I looked and saw my friends glaring inside from our open front door. None of them had quite understood why Kili sometimes tagged along with us. They were all only children so they didn't understand what it meant to take care of someone else.

"Hush," I urged my friends as my brother sniffled in Mother's arms, "Kili, stay with Mother and I'll be back and play with you later. Tomorrow Uncle is taking us on a picnic so you'll come with Brother then, okay?"

"Kay," Kili slurred as he laid his head on Mother's shoulder, "Pway bwocks taday?

"That's right," I agreed as my little brother looked happier, "We'll play with your blocks and build a fort."

Kili waved at me as I left with my friends.

"I don't see how you put up with the twerp?" Benad smirked as I glared at him while we walked through the woods.

"Don't call Kili a twerp. He's only a baby," I warned as Benad grumbled, "Kili wants to do everything I do. It's what little brothers do since younger siblings just always look up to older sibling. I don't mind playing with him. Kili is my responsibility."

"I don't get it," Uldan admitted who was the oldest of us friends, "How in the world can you play such baby stuff with him? I'd feel silly. I mean…blocks? Really?"

"Kili is tiny," I chuckled not feeling slighted at all, "He can't do a lot of what you and I can do right now. Uncle Thorin used to play with me all time when I was Kili's age. Uncle didn't mind and he was much older than I am now so I don't mind doing the same thing for my brother. Simple as that."

Benad, Uldan, Jespen, and Gorn looked at one another and nodded. The four were good friends and really didn't mean anything against Kili. Even I needed a break from being a big brother sometimes. Today was great too. The summer sun felt nice and we shared our lunches and skinny dipped in a safe part of the river before settling down to do some fishing. I was thrilled to catch four good sized trout and enjoyed rubbing in the fact that my friends had caught nothing. Kili and Uncle Thorin loved trout a lot and I was looking forward to surprising them.

"What is your brother doing?" Gorn laughed as we walked home since my home was the closest to the edge of the woods and we were treated to an odd sight.

"I have no idea?" I breathed as I saw Kili leaping about throwing grass in the air with a wreath of flowers stuck in his hair in the front yard while our Uncle watched in amusement.

"The hewoes have weturned," Kili cheered as he ran forward, "Gweetings, Wawwiors!"

"Greetings," I grinned out as Kili hopped about excitedly, "I got you some fish, Kili."

"Yummy," Kili giggled as Uncle came over and got the fish to take inside.

"Why are flowers in your hair?" Jespen asked before frowning when Kili shook his head hard enough to throw him off balance.

"Not fwowers," Kili scowled as I steadied him, "I have a cwown of jewels because I pwince like Fiwi. See? Not fwowers! Jewels!"

"I see," Jespen agreed winking over at me, "Does Prince Fili get a crown too?"

"Yes!" Kili crowed as I gave my giggling friends a dirty look before smiling as my baby brother ran up and I allowed him to place the flower wreath on my head, "All hail, Pwince Fiwi."

"All hail," my four friends echoed as Kili looked thrilled that they were playing along and threw another handful of grass in the air as Gorn sneezed, "See, Fiwi, Kiwi welcome home with…um…with fanfern."

"I think he means 'fanfare,'" I advised as my friends looked confused, "I see that, Kili. Good job."

"Now medals for bwavery," Kili giggled as he grabbed Benad's hand and jerked the surprised dwarf forward, "Come _on_!"

The rest of us followed the toddlers as he pulled Benad over to a picnic table that Uncle Thorin had made for the family. I could tell all of my friends seemed enchanted by whatever game Kili had invented while we were gone.

"I give the medal of Balor ta Sir Benad," Kili chirped as he hopped up on the bench and placed a daisy chain around Benad's neck, "You bwave wawwior who wopped off a orc's head and saved Pwince Fiwi."

"Good going, Sir Benad," Jespen chuckled as the rest of us grinned while Kili bounced on the bench.

Benad laughed and patted Kili's shoulder as my little brother gestured for Gorn to step up next. Gorn lowered his head and accepted his daisy chain.

"I give the medal of Weadership ta Sir Gorn for being…um…a weader!" Kili chirped as we laughed as his silliness, "Bwave, bwave wawwior who wed the attack against the nasty orc-ses."

"I always _have_ had the best head out of the bunch of us," Gorn crowed as the rest of us smirked at him hearing the jest in his words with exception to my little brother, "Thank you, Prince Kili. I will gladly lead any attack against 'orc-ses" whenever I am needed."

"I gives Sir Uldan the medal of…of…um… being gweat," Kili offered as Uldan got his daisy chain next, "Have awesome hammer thwow! Gweat wawwior."

"I am honored," Uldan grinned out before leaning over and whispered to me, "I think I understand a little bit more about having a little brother. Kili is truly something else."

"I give medal of Honor ta Sir Jespen for saving my teddy bear from mean orc," Kili cheered as we laughed remembering when Jespen had to pull the toy from his dog's mouth just yesterday, "Very hon-ible."

I grinned at my brother's lisp and mispronunciations. Kili was trying so hard and seemed pleased with himself.

"For Fiwi," Kili giggled as I was handed the last daisy chain, "Medal for Acts of Gweat Hewoism. Pwince Fili is bestest wawwior and bwudda ever. Yay!"

All of my friends and I clapped along as Kili leapt from the bench and danced around us.

"Feast and songs now," Kili yelled as I was jerked over to a picnic blanket that obviously Mother had covered with different snack dishes, "Come on, Hewoes."

Gorn, Jespen, Benad, and Uldan laughed as they followed and we all enjoyed the food that had been gathered. Kili chirped happily among us and told of us "our gweat deeds." I laughed as Kili sang some half memorized songs he had picked up from Uncle and Mister Gloin. We weren't the least bit embarrassed when Jespen's father showed up to check on his son and laughed at our ridiculous state covered in grass and flowers.

"Sir Jespen has been awarded the medal of Honor," Jespen bragged as he gestured his head towards the toddler among us, "Seems that I'm quite the 'hon-ible' warrior, Father."

"I see," the older dwarf agreed, "Well, 'Hon-ibile' Warrior, let's get home and get ready for dinner. Gorn, Benad, and Uldan, your parents are waiting for you too."

"See you later," I called as the others stood to leave as Kili waved excitedly.

"Let's go to the marketplace tomorrow after your picnic with your uncle," Gorn said over his shoulder, "Bring the brave Sir Kili with you."

Kili cheered happily as the others left.

"Kiwi gets come morrow?" Kili asked excitedly.

"Go ask Mother and if she says it is okay then absolutely," I grinned out as Kili sped away as fast as his toddler's waddle would allow.

"Have fun?" Uncle Thorin asked as he helped me untangle the flowers from my hair.

"Sure did," I agreed as he picked some stray petals from my braids, "Did you know what Kili had planned?"

"A little," Uncle Thorin laughed, "I was telling him stories of how warriors were welcomed back from battles in the olden days and he suddenly began talking about you and your friends having left for battle instead of just going fishing. Insisted on a feast to welcome you back and everything."

"Mommy said okay! She said okay!" Kili shrieked as he sped over and gave me a big hug as Uncle Thorin removed the flowers from his hair, "Pway with bwocks now?"

"Sure," I agreed as I bent and allowed Kili on my back, "Off we go."

Kili cheered as I pretended to be a horse and galloped into the house as I heard Uncle Thorin laughing behind us. I was very glad now that I had allowed Kili to stay when he was born even though I was old enough now to realize that I didn't have a choice back then. What I had actually allowed was for my brother to enter my heart and stay put there without question.

"Wuv, Fiwi," Kili cooed as he crawled into my lap as he reached for a block.

"I love you too," I stated without a doubt in my mind, "Are we building a fort or a castle?"

"Fort," Kili giggled as he wriggled in my lap, "Then battle against the howwible goblin king."

I knew my friends understood about taking care of a little brother a little more now, but none of them knew that this responsibility was a joy more so than being a chore. Getting to be a big brother was the best thing that had ever happened to me and that included being welcomed home with song and "fanfern."

The end.


End file.
